How I Use Gamification

Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

In this week's blog, I'm going to be talking about how I use Gamification in my daily routine in order to stay motivated.

For those of you who don't know what gamification is, it's the way in which we apply certain aspects of gameplay to everyday life. It's used a lot in marketing and learning in order to keep people engaged through the use of game like rewards. I find having a routine to be a great way of keeping organized as well as using a scrum like structure to track tasks.

However, routine and tasks can become boring at times. Even when you're working on something you enjoy, the repetition of certain tasks can make it difficult to stay motivated at times. This is were gamification comes in. Say for example, I have a bunch of bug fixes to complete within the current sprint. Rather than force myself to do them all at once which could result in a poorer quality of work as the task is already rather boring, I'll set out a goal of completing 3 of the bug fixes at which point I can reward myself with maybe an hour break to catch up on a show..

Our brains are accustomed to seeking rewards as doing so gives us that little dopamine boost. By setting out your tasks with clear reward milestones, even if they're small, it motivates you to work better. Because just like a quest in a game, you know once you complete it, you'll be rewarded. Try applying some basic gamification to the everyday tasks you find boring and see how it can increase your productivity.

Until next time!